


Calm After The Storm

by SamoShampioni



Series: Björkman's Empire [12]
Category: Eurovision Song Contest RPF, Music RPF, Real Person Fiction
Genre: ESC, ESC 2014, Eurovision, Gen, Netherlands
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-07
Updated: 2014-05-07
Packaged: 2018-01-23 21:51:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,160
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1580759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamoShampioni/pseuds/SamoShampioni
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This was not peace. Ilse could perhaps block it out when it was on the news, ignore it like everyone else here was so good at. But even she had to admit that America was now a ruined country.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Calm After The Storm

Ilse and Waylon had been thinking about America for some time. It had only been a few weeks ago that they had been in Nashville to take part in a country music festival, but the ruined state of the country after the civil war had left a big impression on both of them. Waylon was sitting there, watching the news. They were reporting on how America may finally be picking itself back up after the Second American Civil War wiped out huge parts of the south, and destroyed much of America. America would, however, be paying the price of this for decades to come, and would most likely never become a world superpower ever again, it's role taken up by the new superpowers of Russia and Germany. Ilse saw what Waylon was watching and walked over to him.  
"Waylon," Ilse said, "Waylon..."  
"Hmmm?" Waylon looked up, "What is it?"  
"You don't need to be watching this depressing stuff... besides, I have good news!" Ilse beamed.  
"Really? What?"  
"Well," Ilse said, "I've put our application forward to represent the Netherlands at next year's Eurovision Song Contest."  
"Wait... what? E...Eurovision?!" Waylon looked at her, shocked, "But... why?"  
"It'll increase our profile, of course," Ilse beamed at him, "We could soon become the two most popular country singers in the whole of the Netherlands!"  
"Uh..." Waylon was far from convinced.  
"Not the response I was expecting from you Waylon," Ilse smiled, "But whatever, I've said that we can go and do it, so that's that."  
"What? Didn't you watch the contest last year? Look what happened to Anouk!"  
"Things are different now," Ilse replied, "Björkman is long gone... Anouk... she was unlucky. But as we know from every year previously, being the Dutch Eurovision entrant is not some sort of death wish. And besides, Anouk helped to secure the world peace that we currently enjoy... we might as well enjoy it. I'm sure it's what she would have wanted."  
Waylon wanted to say something, tell her that the world wasn't at 'peace' just because Björkman had been removed, in fact, far from it. He wanted to say that he thought she was living in a fantasy world. But he didn't say that. It seemed that many people in the Netherlands thought that the world was now some sort of peaceful utopia, when it was in fact nothing of the sort. They had both seen it first hand when they went to Nashville. The aftermath of the Second American Civil War had nearly ruined the whole country. They had seen the bombed streets, the destroyed ruins of America. The war with Sweden had ruined both Britain and Iceland. The Dutch counted themselves lucky that it was not their country that Björkman had decided to nuke, but it easily could have been. Countries everywhere picking up the pieces, Britain now threatening war after becoming a paranoid police state. This was not peace. Ilse could perhaps block it out when it was on the news, ignore it like everyone else here was so good at. But even she had to admit that America was now a ruined country. Not to mention the new Swedish terrorist organisation 'BjörkNet', who wanted to free Sweden from Allied occupation, using any means necessary.  
"What if BjörkNet attack the contest in May?" Waylon said, "Are you sure you've thought this through?"  
Ilse paused for a moment, before saying;  
"Of course I have, silly! Nothing bad will happen to the contest! Goodness me, Waylon, you worry too much!"  
Ilse then pointed out of the window. Looking out to the city outside, they saw a huge poster of Anouk stuck to the side of one of the buildings.  
"Amazing, huh? That could be us!" Ilse beamed.  
"What? Dead?"  
"No! Celebrated!" Ilse sighed, "Goodness, you are depressing sometimes Waylon."  
Waylon just kept looking out of the window, at that poster of Anouk. Underneath it was written 'the hero of the Netherlands'. And that was another thing. The hero worship of Anouk, in Waylon's opinion, was becoming excessive. Yes, what she did was brave, but the behaviour of the Dutch public was becoming rabid. Those who said bad things about Anouk were attacked. And she was everywhere, ever-present. In every book, every room, every street. The statues of her which now adorned the Dutch capital. She was even on the Dutch ten Euro notes. In a way, she had become the national hero of the Netherlands. And it wasn't without reason. Not only had she been the first Dutch artist to qualify from the semi finals of the Eurovision Song Contest, but she had given her life for democracy and freedom. The Dutch government ensured that all future generations would learn about her heroic acts.  
"I wish she could have seen all this," Ilse said, "I wish she could have seen just how much we cared."  
Waylon couldn't say what he really thought. That if Anouk saw the way the world was now, she would be disgusted. This world wasn't at peace. This was just the calm before the storm. Everything was going to come back, and quickly. Not to menton, Waylon wasn't sure that he wanted to do the Eurovision Song Contest at all, but he didn't want to say that. He was sure that a refusal would be considered an 'insult to Anouk' or something like that. Just a few days ago, the Dutch government had passed a law which actually made it illegal to 'insult Anouk'. What was considered an insult was not defined. Waylon sighed. Anouk wouldn't have wanted this. She had always been a huge supporter of freedom of speech. She would have been appalled if she saw what was being done in her name. Waylon was brought out from his thoughts by Ilse.  
"So?" Ilse was pushing the issue, "Well? You do want to come to Eurovision with me, right?"  
Waylon wished that he wasn't being rushed into anything, but this was a decision that needed to be made quickly, before TROS gave the opportunity to someone else. Waylon decided that he should probably agree. Maybe.  
"Come on Waylon," Ilse said, "What's the worst that could really go wrong?"  
"Alright, alright. I'll do it, Ilse," Waylon grinned, "Sure, it'd be great to do the Eurovision Song Contest with you! Uh, I think..."  
"Wonderful!" Ilse beamed, "I'll get the preparations started right away!"  
Waylon sighed as Ilse walked away. It was obvious to all involved that the Eurovision Song Contest was no longer the neutral event that it had once been. Eurovision was now a political event force, and Waylon didn't really want to get involved with such a volatile event, especially one which had resulted in so much chaos last year. Sure, Björkman was gone now, but Waylon had a feeling that the ghost of the dissolved Swedish dictatorship would soon come back to haunt them. Very soon. Time would soon tell whether or not he was right.


End file.
